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Writing a Professional Resume

Medium 15 items · 2 hours
testuser's avatar
testuser Published 3 days ago
Productivity

This checklist guides job seekers through creating a professional, ATS-friendly resume. It covers format selection, contact details, STAR achievement bullets, skills, ATS optimization, and final proofreading. Ideal for early-career to experienced professionals preparing tailored resumes.

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  1. Choose a resume format — Pick chronological, functional, or hybrid based on experience and job target.
  2. Identify target job and top requirements — Collect 3–5 recurring skills and responsibilities from job ads you're applying to.
  3. Tailor resume to the job posting — Adjust summary, bullets, and skills to match the specific role and keywords.
  4. Add clear contact details — Include full name, city/state, professional phone, email, and LinkedIn URL.
  5. Set a professional filename and file type — Save as LastName_Resume.pdf; prefer PDF unless employer requests otherwise.
  6. Write a concise professional summary — Craft 2–3 lines stating role, years of experience, and value you deliver.
  7. List key skills with job keywords — Include a mix of hard and soft skills pulled from the job description.
  8. Outline work experience in reverse-chronological order — Include job title, employer, location, and dates for each role.
  9. Write achievement-focused bullets using the STAR method — Briefly show Situation, Task, Action, and Result to highlight impact.
  10. Quantify results with numbers and metrics — Use percentages, dollar amounts, timeframes, and counts where possible.
  11. Start bullets with strong action verbs — Use verbs like Led, Improved, Launched, Reduced, Negotiated to show initiative.
  12. Include education and relevant certifications — List degree, school, graduation year (optional), and current certifications.
  13. Optimize layout for ATS and recruiters — Use standard headings, simple fonts, no images or complex tables, and keyword phrases.
  14. Proofread, check consistency, and get a second read — Read aloud, verify dates/titles, run spellcheck, and ask a peer to review.
  15. Save ATS-friendly and plain-text versions — Keep a PDF and a plain-text copy for online forms and parsing checks.
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